I Don't Know Where I Stand
by MELlenniumfalcon
Summary: Star Wars: The Force Awakens AU. O/C gets caught in the tug and pull of the First Order and the Resistance.
1. Chapter 1

"I am coming for you, Keida-Ari."

The deep voice woke her with a start. She was gasping for breath, sweat beading on her clammy skin. This wasn't the first time that deep voice had echoed through her dreams. She stepped outside into the cool breeze, pulling her robe closer around her. The gentle whisper of the wind sifting through the trees calmed her racing mind and tousled her wild red curls. The forests of Corellia were lush and beautiful, but the hustle and bustle of Coronet City was right around the corner; she could see the lights of the busy city just a few miles away. The sun was rising in the east as Keida-Ari stepped back into her small home. Her surroundings were modest, but that was mostly by choice; her parents were wealthy merchants who lived close by in the city when they weren't doing business abroad.

Keida-Ari chose a more solitary life, living in the forest on the outskirts of the city. She visited the city often, but she worked at a local watering hole. Being a waitress in such a well-travelled area was hard work, but she enjoyed her job and had forged great relationships with the regulars. She worked from open to close almost every day. Though her days were long, they were always interesting; she heard stories about people and places all over the galaxy.

After dressing for the day, she pulled her wild hair back into a loose bun and hopped onto her speeder. She grimaced as she glanced overhead and saw First Order ships zipping about in the distance; though the shadow of the Empire and the First Order had long ruled Corellia, the planet continued to prosper. As she parked her speeder, she saw a ship come screaming by, her clothes whipping fiercely in the wind it left behind. She had barely entered the establishment, greeted its elderly owner Junai, and thrown on her apron when they heard the roar of engines.

"A bit early for the morning rush, isn't it?" Junai asked in her soft voice. Keida-Ari nodded, but they didn't have to wonder for long. The door slammed open, and two stormtroopers in shining white armor entered, their guns loaded and at the ready. Keida-Ari froze, her gray eyes round with shock. Junai frowned, and approached the two soldiers.

"What is your business here?" Junai asked in a stone cold voice.

"We're searching for two fugitives who were headed this way. Did you see them?" One of the troopers asked in his sterile voice. Junai shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest.

"We're not even open for service yet." After a quick survey of the room, the stormtroopers lowered their weapons. They turned on their heels and marched out the door. Keida-Ari could hear their muffled voices over the intercom outside. "I hope whomever they were kept going and didn't stop to look back," Junai murmured, pulling her silver hair back in a bun. She glanced out the window and sighed, seeing the stormtroopers searching the outside perimeter. "Today is not going to be a good day for business." With that, she marched into the kitchen to start prepping for the coming day. Keida-Ari glanced out the window at the shiny white soldiers; she had never seen stormtroopers before, only heard horror stories of what followed their presence.

Junai was right; the presence of the stormtroopers diverted much of their daily business. Keida-Ari was as curious about the strange beings as she was afraid of them. Junai chastised her as she caught her peering out the window at them as the sun began to lower on the slow business day.

"The more you look at them, the more suspicious you look, and the more excuses they'll have to hang around here." Keida-Ari nodded, and went back to cleaning the dining area. She only had two tables currently: a couple of men drinking hot coffee and whispering in the corner and a group of local ship mechanics. She knew the mechanics all by face and name, but the two men in the corner were newcomers. She smiled as she refilled their drinks, but they repaid her only in stony silence. She returned to the counter, where Junai was drying freshly washed cups. As Keida-Ari opened her mouth to speak, the sound of loud engines cut her off. It also seemed to startle all their customers, who began looking around nervously. Before anyone could move, the front door slammed open and a battalion of stormtroopers marched in. Junai pulled Keida-Ari behind the counter and approached a superior marked stormtrooper.

"What is the meaning of this?" Junai demanded of the soldier.

"First Order business." The cold tone in the man's voice warned her against any further questions. The stormtroopers grabbed the two strangers from the corner table and shackled them. The superior stormtrooper spoke clearly into his intercom.

"We have them." The scream of another engine approaching ripped through the air. Keida-Ari stood frozen behind the counter, gaping at the spectacle before her. The stormtroopers dragged the men outside, where another group of stormtroopers stood waiting. Despite Junai's warning, Keida-Ari ran to the window. The shining white soldiers parted, and a tall, cloaked figure approached the shackled men. The figure was draped in black from head to toe, and he wore a metal mask over his face. Keida-Ari thought he looked like something out of a nightmare. She couldn't hear the exchange that was going on between the people outside, but it didn't look good. Without warning, the dark figure drew a weapon from his belt, and a red beam shot out like a glowing sword, with two small beams spouting out horizontally. Her eyes widened and filled with tears, but she couldn't make herself look away as he cut down one of the men who had not even five minutes ago been silently drinking his coffee. He gestured toward ship behind him, and a handful of stormtroopers took the remaining man and boarded the ship. The figure then turned to the superior stormtrooper, who after words seemed to be exchanged, pointed toward the restaurant. Keida-Ari darted over to Junai.

"Go into the kitchen. Now," the older woman demanded in a tone that left no room for argument. She quickly ducked into the kitchen as she heard the front door open again. Keida-Ari immediately felt the atmosphere in the happy diner darken, like a heavy weight was pressing down on her. She held her breath with her back to the wall, straining to listen to what was happening out on the floor.

"Can I help you?" Junai asked in a neutral tone. A smile pulled at the corner of Keida-Ari's lips; even when facing such intimidating people, Junai refused to show any fear. The tall, dark creature gazed at the small woman through the mask.

"These men were dining in your establishment?" A deep, metallic voice cut the silence. Keida-Ari felt her blood freeze in her veins and her stomach dropped. That voice.

"Yes, they had been drinking coffee in the corner," Junai replied in her calm, neutral voice.

"Was there anyone else with them?" The metallic voice cut through Keida-Ari like a knife, and for a moment she forgot how to breathe.

"Not that we saw," Junai replied in a simple voice, hoping to wrap up the conversation. The dark creature cocked his head to the side, but did not reply. He whipped around to face his soldiers.

"Search the surrounding area. I want them found." The deep voice resonated with a promise of violence if his demands were not met. He dismissed the troops and turned back to Junai. "Where is the server who waited on them?" Before Junai could even answer, the door to the kitchen swung open. Keida-Ari looked up, her gray gaze meeting the black metal mask. She felt her heart jump into her throat as she stared up at the towering shadowy figure. "Tell me about those men." Keida-Ari felt her free will leave her as she opened her mouth to answer.

"They came in about an hour ago and sat drinking coffee in the corner. They've never come in before." Keida-Ari was surprised that the words were pouring out of her own mouth.

"What did they talk about?" She felt herself giving in to the deep metallic voice on command.

"I don't know. They stopped talking every time I came within earshot." The dark figure paused, bearing down on the trembling girl.

"But you saw something earlier," the metallic voice murmured. It was a statement, not a question. She felt like this creature was poking around in her mind. Though she wanted to resist, she nodded.

"When I was arriving at work early this morning, I saw a speeder fly by heading south." The creature stared down at her for a moment longer before turning on his heel and walking out of the kitchen and out of the diner. Keida-Ari gasped for breath as the dark weight left her mind.

"Are you alright?" Junai asked in a concerned tone, softly touching Keida-Ari's cheek. She shook off the lingering dark feelings and nodded, giving Junai a small smile. They walked back out into the dining room and watched the stormtroopers finish boarding their ships and speeders. She couldn't have been more relieved that the masked figure was already gone. As the ships pulled away, they noticed that their other patrons had rushed out in a hurry without paying. Junai sighed. "Let's close down. I think that's enough damage for one night."

After cleaning the diner with Junai, Keida-Ari sped home. She didn't want to be anywhere near something that reminded her of those shiny white monsters and their dark leader. When he was around, she felt like she was lost in darkness. And the way that he seemed to read her mind and make her speak… She shivered just thinking about it.

She stood outside on the porch of her home, the soft breeze tangled in her hair much as it had that morning. To say it had been a long day was an understatement. Her thoughts drifted to the speeder she had seen screaming by the restaurant as she had arrived at work. Clearly whoever or whatever was on that speeder was of great importance. She was ashamed that she had told the First Order so much, but it was as if she had no control over herself when that creature had questioned her. She felt a chill as her thoughts drifted to the events at the diner. She shook her head, refusing to let her mind be darkened by the First Order. She wanted to scrub every trace and reminder of them from her being.

After a long, hot bath, Keida-Ari curled up in bed. As she drifted off to sleep, images of the dark figure with the metal mask filled her mind. Now she had an image to match the deep voice in her dreams.


	2. Chapter 2

The next few days seemed to pass in a blur. Keida-Ari's sleep was restless and filled with dreams of the dark creature with the metal mask and his deep voice. She always woke up before dawn in a fearful sweat, and even Junai could tell that something was bugging her.

"I'm fine," Keida-Ari assured her as she arrived almost late a few days after the strange encounter. Junai pursed her lips as she looked over the younger girl. Whether Keida-Ari would admit it or not, Junai could clearly see the physical toll her restlessness had taken on her.

"Don't you argue with me. Take today off. Go home and rest." Junai's voice was hard, and left little room for argument. Her expression softened as she smiled at the red-head. "You need it." Keida-Ari sighed, but nodded, handing Junai her apron.

"I'll be back in for work tomorrow!" Keida-Ari called as she climbed atop her speeder bike and drove off. It only took her a few minutes to get home. She sat on her small porch and watched as the sun rose. Junai was right of course, no matter how hard she tried to deny it. Her nights were restless and full of nightmares. She felt strange, sick, and never rested. She cursed the sterile white soldiers and their dark leader every night for interrupting her peace. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get that dark creature and his metallic voice out of her head nor out of her dreams.

The sky was still red from the rising sun as she started to drift to sleep still sitting outside. The breeze made it a little chilly, but Keida-Ari was wrapped in a warm robe. She was too drowsy to notice the distant sound of engines roaring about just a few miles away on the main roads. Just as she was drifting into a restful slumber, Keida-Ari was startled awake.

BOOM. The deep sound of the explosion echoed abruptly through the peaceful forest, causing the ground to tremble from its might. Keida-Ari was knocked over by the force of the shaking, but as soon as she came to her senses she leapt to her feet and looked around madly. What could possibly have caused such a forceful explosion out here? She turned around, and her gray eyes widened with disbelief.

"No…" she murmured softly as her eyes met a thick column of black smoke in the direction of the diner. "No, no, no…" She ran as fast as she could and hopped on her speeder, driving recklessly toward the huge billowing clouds of smoke. As she approached the diner, her worst fears were confirmed. What was left of the structure was still burning, but most of it had been destroyed. Keida-Ari could see bodies scatter about, and she felt tears sting her eyes as she searched desperately for her only friend.

"Keida…" she heard a weak voice calling to her, and she whipped around. Junai was laying many feet from the wreckage that was left of her once lively establishment. Her clothes were seared, and heavy pieces of debris pinned her down, but she didn't appear to be in terrible shape.

"Junai, what happened?!" Keida-Ari asked, desperately trying to remove all of the debris from her weak friend. It moved surprisingly easily.

"Those monsters," she said in a weak voice as she strived to sit up. "You have to get away from here before they find you, too." Keida-Ari frowned.

"I'm not leaving you," she said in a stubborn tone that echoed that of Junai. The older lady smiled softly, knowing that there was no use in argument.

"Then we must move quickly." Keida-Ari pulled Junai to her feet and slung her weak arm over her shoulder. They moved as quickly as they could back to Keida-Ari's speeder. She helped Junai on before climbing on herself. She glanced around to make sure no one saw them and she took in the smoldering remains of the diner one last time before speeding away and not looking back. They arrived at her home in no time and she helped Junai inside. Though she didn't have much, she had an array of healing ointments and bandages. She helped Junai lay on her bed to rest, but as she turned to leave the older woman called after her.

"Keida…" Junai called softly from the bed. Keida-Ari turned immediately and walked back to the bedside. She opened her mouth to ask what was wrong, but Junai gestured for her to stay quiet. "I haven't been entirely honest with you." Keida-Ari frowned, but let Junai continue without any interruptions. "Those men… The ones the First Order came after the other day… I know them. They are Resistance. And so am I." Keida-Ari looked at Junai with a mix of shock and disbelief plastered on her face. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. "I'm so sorry I couldn't tell you, but it was too much of a risk."

"Then why are you telling me now?" Keida-Ari asked in a quiet voice. She had so much racing through her head that it was hard to comprehend. Junai gave her a sad smile.

"I have clearly been discovered. I'm not in the best shape anymore," she replied softly, gesturing to her wounded body. Keida-Ari bit her lip; though she did not have a lot of burn damage to her skin, but she had broken bones and whatever kind of internal injuries that Keida-Ari could not care for. "Keida, I need you to carry on in my place." Keida-Ari's gaze snapped up and met the soft sky blue gaze of her mentor.

"You want me to what?" Keida-Ari gaped at Junai. The older woman reached out and softly touched Keida-Ari's arm. Her sky blue eyes held so many secrets.

"Keida, the First Order is trying to take over the galaxy. We've discovered that they are building a new super weapon. The problem is that this isn't some massive, obvious weapon that can be easily blown up. It's a very small explosive with a destructive force large enough to destroy planets." Keida-Ari shook her head in disbelief. "This weapon is still under construction, but the Resistance needs to destroy it and any knowledge of how it was created before the First Order can complete construction. However, my team has discovered the location of the secret base that is constructing this weapon. Unfortunately, the First Order seems to have found me out. Keida," the older woman leaned toward her and took Keida-Ari's hands in hers. "I'm sorry that it has come down to this, and putting you in danger is the last thing that I want. But I need you to complete my mission." Keida-Ari's breath caught in her throat. "Please. I need you to take this chip to the planet Endor, any way you can." Junai placed a small chip in Keida-Ari's clammy hands. "Please. The fate of the galaxy rests in this chip." Keida-Ari's mind was racing. So much had happened in such a small amount of time, and she was still reeling from the impact. Her life here was destroyed. She hated the First Order with a passion, and the chance to help the Resistance defeat them gave her a jolt of excitement. But never in her life had Keida-Ari faced such hardship or danger. Her heart was pounding in her chest as all of these thoughts crossed her mind at light speed.

"I'll do it," she replied almost silently, curling her hand around the small chip. She felt the weight of the responsibility she just accepted settle on her shoulders. Quickly, she grabbed a small bracelet from her table. It was a smooth black ribbon, but it had an almost invisible pocket that the chip fit into snugly. It seemed unsafe, but it was so subtle it could be easily overlooked. As she tied the bracelet on securely, a thought dawned on her. "But what about you?" she turned slowly to face Junai, who was still lying feebly on the bed. With all of the excitement racing through her head, she had forgotten about her companion, her only friend. Junai gave her a sad smile.

"I will keep up my guise here on Corellia." Keida-Ari's eyes stung with tears. They would find her, she knew. The First Order was ruthless, and would hunt Junai down without hesitation. She let the hot tears spill onto her cheeks as her thoughts followed through to conclusion. Her only friend in this life was doomed to die at the hands of the enemy, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

"You can stay here, in my home. I know it's not much, but…"

"It's perfect," Junai cut her off mid-sentence. "But time is short. They will be scouring the area after they don't find what they're looking for at the diner. You have to leave." Keida-Ari bit her lip as she surveyed Junai. She knew she was doing the right thing, but leaving her only friend helpless seemed so wrong.

The roar of engines broke the heavy silence. Keida-Ari's heart jumped into her throat. It couldn't be… She gave Junai's hand a quick squeeze before running out into the living area of her small home. Keida-Ari locked her bedroom door and pulled the curtain over it. She ran for the front door, but it was too late. The door slammed opened, and a group of the shining white soldiers stormed inside. Two quickly grabbed Keida-Ari.

"One subject in custody," a superior trooper spoke clearly into his radio. They began to pull her outside, to which she heartily resisted. Only an elbow to the gut from a merciless stormtrooper stopped her fight. They dragged her out and threw her to the ground. Keida-Ari was holding her injured side when she felt a darkness descend on her. Before she could think, the dark creature stepped in front of her. She felt her stomach drop as she looked up at the dark, masked creature.

"We meet again," his metallic voice spoke in a taunting tone. Keida-Ari felt a rush of hot anger that overcame all of her senses.

"That tends to happen when someone is stalking you," she spat at the creature, who just laughed in her face. The cruel sound sent a chill down her spine and reminded her of the predicament she was in.

"You have spirit, but that won't help you now." The creature slowly stepped closer to Keida-Ari, one step at a time. As he got closer, Keida-Ari backed away from the tall, dark figure only a few steps until she was flush against the wall. Her heart was pounding in her ears as the creature stood not even a foot away from her. "Where is she?" Keida-Ari knew he was talking about Junai, and she could feel her will leaving her. No, not this time. She would not give in to this dark creature.

"Who?" Keida-Ari asked through gritted teeth. She could feel the anger of the dark creature grow as she resisted.

"That woman, the owner," the metallic voice growled through the mask. Keida-Ari looked up at the mask in defiant silence. You could taste the tension in the air as the dark figure trembled with anger. Before Keida-Ari could blink, the creature had raised his arm and closed his gloved hand around her slender neck. Her hands immediately shot up and pulled, but the large, dark hand was unyielding. She was desperately gasping for breath.

"Sir, we've found her." Keida-Ari crumbled to the ground, coughing and gasping for air as the creature walked away to deal with the more important of the two.

"Watch her closely," the metallic voice muttered as he crossed the threshold into the home. All but two stormtroopers followed him into the home. Keida-Ari caught her breath and slowly stood up. She eyed the two storm troopers with weary eyes. She had to disable those two to get to her speeder, which was parked just around the corner. She pushed away all thoughts of Junai and what was happening inside her home. This mission was more important than any single life.

There was a loud cry and the sound of the dark creatures sword coming to life from inside. Keida-Ari quieted her breaking heart as the stormtroopers turned to check on the scene in the house. She took the only chance she saw, and quickly darted around the corner of the house. Her speeder was parked right there and she hopped on. It only took half a second to start it, but in that time she heard the buzz of the dark creatures sword cutting. She sped away without looking back, tears streaming down her cheeks for the death of the only friend she ever had. As she drove as fast as she could toward the looming capital city, her sadness turned to anger. She wouldn't let Junai's death be in vain.


	3. Chapter 3

Keida-Ari quickly made her way through Coronet City. She knew many of the back streets and alleyways by heart; she had been an adventurous child. She slipped into the backdoor of a tall skyscraper and rode the elevator silently to the top floor. Keida-Ari took a deep breath as the doors hissed open. She stepped onto the plush carpet and paused, listening for voices. Almost immediately, a droid approached her.

"Hello, Miss Keida-Ari," the silver protocol droid spoke loudly.

"I need the passcode to the Nubian hanger." Without even pausing to acknowledge the droid, Keida-Ari slipped through her parents' penthouse. She darted to the guest room reserved for her in the back. She quickly slipped into some of the clothes in the closet; her parents always kept an expensive closet for her because they did not approve of her simple garb. If the First Order was looking for her, she did not want to look recognizable. She slipped a deep purple dress that brushed the ground. She pulled her hair into a tight, sophisticated bun and placed a small silver holder around it. She glanced in the mirror; she hardly recognized herself, so she hoped that this would be enough to disguise her from her enemies. She threw a few more outfits, including her daily garb, into a bag and slipped back into the main room. She smiled as she glanced at the computer screen the droid had left up; the password for the Nubian hanger was her name. Her parents knew she had always favored that ship, and it seemed to almost be a sign.

She scoured her parents' apartment, looking for anything that might be useful on this kind of journey. She knew her father kept a small weapons vault in his closet. She keyed in a few codes before she guessed the proper one, and she snagged a small laser pistol from his stores. She wasn't sure how she could explain it to him, but she'd think of an excuse when the time came. She grabbed a small pair of wrist communicators from a spare drawer, and packed her bag so that the pistol was well hidden. She stopped in front of the full-length mirror in her bedroom before exited.

"You can do this," she whispered to her strange reflection. She closed her eyes and meditated for a moment. The First Order would be looking for a red-haired girl in tattered house clothes rushing for a way to get off of this planet. She had to push her fear away, and appear to be composed and as if she was leaving on normal business. She opened her eyes, satisfied with the stranger she saw in the mirror.

Keida-Ari walked promptly out the front door of the building. She signaled a taxi, and climbed in with her bag. She gave the driver directions to the hanger. As they zipped around the city, Keida-Ari was alert. She saw many First Order ships flying around, and she prayed that none of them held that masked terror; even though she had changed her appearance, she had a feeling he would recognize her.

She arrived at the busy hanger and walked briskly inside. As she approached her parents' private hanger, she felt a darkness creeping over her. She paused, peering around the corner. She cursed quietly as she saw the hallway was creeping with stormtroopers. They must be sweeping the hangers looking for her. She turned and walked back the way she had come quickly. She could hear the stormtroopers marching behind her and she quickened her pace; she was so preoccupied trying to get away that she nearly tripped over a small droid. She blinked at the peculiar thing; it was a BB droid, but the markings were a unique bright orange. Keida-Ari glanced over her shoulder and saw the stormtroopers shadows approaching down the hallway. The droid beeped at her to follow him. She weighed her options quickly, and decided that wherever this droid wanted to take her was probably better than being surrounded by stormtroopers.

She followed the rolling ball to a service hallway, and she closed the door silently behind them. She held her breath as she heard the stormtroopers march by. After the echoes of their footsteps had faded away, Keida-Ari sighed, relieved, and slid her back down the cold metal wall. For a moment she had thought she was going to be captured, and everything would have been for nothing. Her hands were clammy and her breathing was ragged as she tried to calm herself and refocus on her mission.

"Follow me," the small droid beeped at her, bringing her back to reality. It rolled slowly along the hallway away from the door. Keida-Ari glanced back at the door for a moment; she could slip out the door and run to her ship now, but it was still risky. Clearly this droid was trying to help. She stood, grabbed her bag, and followed the little ball.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked quietly as the droid navigated a maze of narrow metal hallways.

"To help," the droid beeped quietly. Keida-Ari wasn't sure what to make of that, but talking in the eerily quiet hallways made her feel uncomfortable. The pair approached another door, and after a moment, the droid pushed it open. The outside hallway was empty, but Keida-Ari realized that she was now on the far side of the huge hanger, almost as far from her ship as she could get. Keida-Ari sighed in frustration.

"I thought you said you wanted to help me? You're taking me in the opposite direction of where I need to go!" The droid stopped and swiveled its head to look back at Keida-Ari.

"To help," the droid beeped again. Keida-Ari glared at the droid, but continued; after all she'd come this far. As they came to a maintenance door, the droid halted. "I'll be right back." The droid quickly rolled through, and the door hissed shut behind it. The silence in the hallway pressed in on Keida-Ari as she tried to wait patiently for the droid to return.

"This way!" The sterile voice was as familiar as any of them. She could hear the stormtroopers marching down the hallway.

"That droid double-crossed me!" Keida-Ari thought angrily. She glanced around, desperately looking for a place to hide. She didn't really know where she was, but the only doors she saw was where she had come from and where the droid went, and both had security passwords that she didn't know. Her heart was pounding in her ears as the footsteps grew louder.

"Hey!" she heard a voice whisper. Her head whipped around, and she saw a small door open a few feet further down the hallway. She blinked in confusion; she could have sworn that was just a wall a moment ago. She walked up to the door and peered inside; it was pitch black. Without warning, a strong hand wrapped around her upper arm, pulling her into the dark room. The door sealed shut seamlessly.

"What's going on?" Keida-Ari whispered into the dark.

"This way!" The BB droid beeped quietly. Keida-Ari blinked in surprise, but followed the light the droid emitted. It was an extremely narrow hallway, maybe half the size of the service hallways.

"Who was that? Who grabbed me?" Keida-Ari asked as they slid down the hallway at a pretty quick pace. Before the droid could answer her, they came to a dead end. The droid knocked softly on what appeared to be a wall, but it seamlessly opened seconds later. It led down an identically small, dark hallway. "How much longer?" Keida was getting anxious; she had no idea where she was or who this little droid was working for. The droid slowed to a stop in the middle of the corridor; Keida paused behind him. They could hear quick footsteps approaching from the opposite side, and Keida-Ari had a moment of panic.

"BB-8?" A husky voice whispered. The droid beeped happily as the person approached. Keida-Ari felt her heart skip a beat. The man paused by the droid. "Where is she?"

"I'm right here," Keida-Ari said, pushing her fear away.

"How about a little light?" the mystery man asked, climbing over the droid. BB-8 flicked on a small light, and Keida-Ari saw the man standing close, his face mere inches from hers. The man was a few inches taller than her, with thick, wavy black hair and tan skin. "You worked with Junai, right?" he asked her in the same husky whisper. Keida nodded.

"How did you know?" she asked incredulously.

"Junai was an old friend. She told me you'd be coming." Keida-Ari eyed the man suspiciously. "I'm with the Resistance. I'm here to get you out of here. You have the chip, right?" Keida-Ari assessed the man and his droid. They had gotten her away from trouble, not to mention they knew about Junai and the chip. She swallowed her fear and hesitation.

"Yes, I have it. Can you help me?" The man in front of her smiled, and his chocolate eyes twinkled with excitement.

"Don't you worry, we'll get you and that chip out of here safe and sound." Keida-Ari smiled; this man inspired hope in her. Not to mention that he was pretty easy on the eyes. "Are you up for this?" He looked down at Keida-Ari, his dark eyes a mix of concern and adventure. The close proximity in the narrow hallway was making her skin flush as her mind raced. Was she ready for this? Her thoughts drifted back to Junai, the happy memories they'd made over the years and the last moments they spent together in Keida-Ari's home. She took a deep breath.

"I'm ready. I'm Keida-Ari, by the way. But you can call me Keida." The man smiled again, and it filled Keida-Ari with excitement and nervous energy. His dark eyes twinkled with mystery.

"I'm Poe, Poe Dameron."


	4. Chapter 4

Hello! I'm sorry that this chapter was so messed up. I've been too preoccupied and haven't updated or fixed it. Hopefully this works much better!

* * *

"How are we going to get out of here? The place is crawling with stormtroopers." Keida-Ari could hear the worry in her own voice.

"BB-8 and I came here on a small ship that's in a hanger just around the corner. It's big enough to hold one more person since the original plan was to bring Junai." Keida-Ari flinched at the mention of her fallen friend. Poe frowned a little at her before realizing what happened. "I'm sorry, Keida. It's never easy to lose someone you're close to. She spoke very highly of you," Poe spoke in a soft voice. Keida bit her lip to hold back the tears; she had been able to keep Junai's death from her thoughts, but it suddenly came crashing down on her. She opened her mouth to apologize for her tears, but only a small whimper came out. Poe silently wrapped his arms around Keida and pulled her close. She blinked in confusion as hot tears spilled onto her cheeks. "Shhhhh," he cooed quietly. After a few more moments of silent crying into Poe's chest, Keida pulled back.

"Why did you do that?" she asked quietly as she wiped the tears from her cheeks. "You barely know me." Poe shrugged, the dim light emanating from BB-8 making his dark eyes dance.

"You're in pain. You've lost someone you really care about. No one deserves to suffer like that." He turned and began to walk back the way he had come. "Besides," he glanced back over his shoulder at Keida. "Junai was like family to me. I understand." Keida-Ari felt like she had been punched in the stomach. She'd completely forgotten that Poe had known and loved Junai for years, just like she had. She followed him and BB-8 down the small metal hallway.

"I'm sorry…" she muttered, embarrassed at her behavior.

"Don't be," Poe whispered from ahead. "You don't know a thing about me, and you just met me." Keida frowned as they navigated the seemingly endless maze.

"The same goes for you, too, though." Poe chuckled as he came to a halt at the end of the narrow metal hallway.

"How long have you known Junai?" Keida blinked as she thought back.

"Probably near 5 years, since the diner opened."

"And she's been working with us every day." Poe smirked, a small dimple forming in his cheek. "I've heard all about you." Keida's stomach backflipped as Poe knelt by his droid. "Buddy, can you scan for stormtroopers?"

"The hallway is all clear," the little droid beeped back after a moment. Poe smiled as he opened the concealed door, and the group emerged into the empty corridor. They walked over to a glass observation window, and Poe cursed under his breath.

"Shit…" he whispered, frowning. Keida-Ari glanced through the window. There were shiny white soldiers crawling all over the hanger and his ship. "Good thing we didn't have anything valuable on board." Poe scratched the back of his head, glancing down the still empty hallway, searching hopelessly for an idea of what to do.

"We can take my ship," Keida offered, suddenly remembering the gleaming Nubian in her parents' personal hanger. "It's a Nubian." Poe's face lit up at the suggestion.

"You have a Nubian?" he asked, the excitement evident in his face. Keida nodded, smiling.

"It's in hanger 1827."

"That's not far from here!" Poe exclaimed, turning and walking briskly along the corridor. Keida-Ari had to jog to catch up to him. Apparently she'd lost track of where she was in that hell of a metal maze. As they were approaching the door to her hanger, they could hear footsteps approaching. Poe's eyes looked panicked for a moment.

"Let me handle this," Keida-Ari whispered to him, taking the lead. A small group of six stormtroopers turned the corner as she walked up to the hanger door.

"Halt!" one of the soldiers called. Keida-Ari took a deep breath to calm herself, and put an impatient expression on her face. "What is your business here?" She whipped around and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I'm having a mechanic look at my ship. It wasn't running correctly," she replied coolly.

"Hangers are off-limits to civilians right now," the stormtrooper replied in a sterile voice. Keida-Ari cocked an eyebrow at the helmet, though she couldn't see the reaction of the face inside.

"Would you like to delay a business deal with the Sekel family? I'll gladly inform your commander. What did you say your identification number was?" Keida could sense the trooper's hesitation.

"I'm sorry, Miss. I didn't realize you were a Sekel. Carry on." The group of soldiers promptly continued their rounds. Keida-Ari typed in the code on the security pad and quickly entered the hanger. Poe gave her a sideways look as they scaled the entry ramp onto the glimmering ship.

"That was slick." Keida-Ari shrugged as she turned on the ship and began to prepare it for departure.

"It's the truth." Poe gaped at her when she turned around. "What?"

"You're a Sekel?" Keida nodded. "You're part of the largest ship building corporation in this half of the galaxy?" Again, she nodded. "But your family is loyal to the First Order." Keida narrowed her eyes at Poe, who hadn't budged from the entryway.

"My name is Keida-Ari Lelia Sekel. I am the youngest and only surviving child of Chida and Jallal Sekel, heads of the Sekel shipbuilding corporation. Our planet and our company have been under the control of the First Order for as long as I can remember. They will utterly destroy us if we do not do what they want. We do what we do to survive, not because we believe in them." Poe looked thunderstruck, and BB-8 was hiding behind his legs. He opened his mouth to speak, but Keida-Ari cut him off. "I left this life and the city behind because I couldn't stand being around such toxicity day after day. My parents are content enough with their lives, but I wanted to be my own person controlling my own destiny. I didn't want my life to be ruled by the First Order." The silence that followed was thick and full of tension.

"I'm sorry," Poe mumbled, his guilt written all over his face.

"We don't have time for this," Keida-Ari muttered, turning back to the controls. "We have to get out of here, and fast." Poe smirked, sliding into the captain's chair.

"Don't worry. I can fly anything." Keida smiled, her irritation at him melting away. His concerns were legitimate, especially for someone who was working with the Resistance. Junai had known about her life and her family, but she had kept it a secret until her last breath. Keida smiled, silently thanking her.

"You take off, I'm going to go change." As Keida entered the main sleeping quarters, she could feel the ship takeoff and fly into the atmosphere. She quickly slipped into some plain black mechanic pants and long sleeved shirt she found in the closet; she was already tired of wearing luxurious dresses. The shirt was a little large, so she tied it into a little knot on the side. She walked briskly into the cockpit, settling into the co-pilots seat. She glanced at the map and saw that Poe had already plugged in the coordinates for Endor. BB-8 beeped cheerfully in the background.

"We're about to enter lightspeed," Poe warned her, flicking a few of the controls. Keida-Ari smiled as she helped him prepare. The jump to lightspeed went smoothly. Keida sighed with relief. Somehow everything was going incredibly smoothly. As the ship sped through space, Keida glanced sideways as Poe. She watched subtly as he fiddled with one of the monitors. She realized she didn't get a very good look at him back in the maze of metal hallways. He had a strong jaw, and his dark eyes always had a twinkle of mystery to them. He seemed like an excellent pilot. His life must have been so exciting working with the Resistance... She quickly averted her attention to the cockpit window as he shifted around; she didn't want to be caught staring.

As Keida stood to check some of the dials and switches, Poe glanced at her. He had heard Junai talk about the sweet, young redhead who waitressed for her, but the woman he saw in front of him was different. She was full of passion and spunk, and her temper seemed as fiery as her hair. Not to mention she seemed to know her way around a ship. He watched as her cloudy gray eyes scanned the dials and switches to make sure that everything was running properly; maybe he had misjudged this girl. He felt himself get flustered the more he thought about it. He quickly shook his head, returning his focus to the task at hand.

"That almost seemed too easy," Keida-Ari muttered as she returned to the co-pilots chair.

"What do you mean?" Poe asked, cocking an eyebrow at her.

"Well I've been around the First Order enough to know that they're very thorough. It's hard to believe we managed to take off and get to lightspeed without so much as a hitch."

"Maybe I'm just that good of a pilot," Poe smirked a little, causing Keida to giggle. Despite his airiness, her comments did give him some doubt. What if they were being tracked or followed? They couldn't afford to lead the First Order right to the Resistance base or lose the vital information that they had managed to obtain. A beeping from the ship signaled that they were approaching their destination.

"Poe?" Keida-Ari turned her stormy eyes toward the stranger who had rescued her. "Does BB-8 have a powerful scanner?" Poe nodded, no trace of humor left in his dark eyes. "Could he scan the ship for a homing beacon?" Her voice was no more than a whisper, but the weight of her words pressed against them both. BB-8 beeped somberly, and left the room to begin scanning. The tension in the silent room was nerve wrecking as the odd pair waited for the droid to return. When BB-8 rolled back into the room, his quiet chirps confirmed their fears.

"What are we going to do?" Poe whispered, stroking his cheek nervously as the ship beeped again. Keida-Ari looked at Poe with a resigned look on her face. He seemed to catch on to her thoughts just a moment too late. He opened his mouth to protest, but Keida-Ari cut him off before he could get a word out.

"It's the only way," she said softly. Poe frowned hard, refusing to accept the truth.

"No."

"It's the only way, and you know it!" Poe stood angrily, narrowing his eyes at his stubborn companion.

"We'll find another way!" His voice raised as his frustration did.

"We don't have time to find another way!" Keida exclaimed, standing and matching his volume. Poe racked his brain as the ship beeped again, informing them that they had two minutes. He hated that she was right; he absolutely hated it.

"You go in my place," he suggested, but Keida-Ari shook her head.

"The First Order can't know that you or the Resistance was involved in this; they have to think that the chip was lost or destroyed." Poe searched her face, looking for a sign of weakness, but Keida-Ari was unyielding. "Quick, this way." She grabbed his hand and dragged him out of the cockpit and down the hallway. She knelt and placed a hand on BB-8's dome. "Thank you for your help." The droid beeped in sullen tones. As she stood, Keida pushed the button and the door to the escape pod opened. BB-8 rolled inside and plugged into the nav computer, punching in the coordinates. As she turned back toward Poe, he grabbed her and pulled her into a tight hug. She closed her eyes and hugged him back as tightly as she could. She put on a brave front to his face, but she was terrified of what was about to happen. She closed her eyes, burying her face in his shoulder as she fought off an emotion she could hardly understand; how could she be so attached to a man she just met? Keida-Ari took in a deep breath, and the corner of her lips pulled into an involuntary smile; he smelled like oil and leather.

"I'll come back for you," Poe whispered, his lips almost brushing her ear. Keida-Ari did her best to keep her emotions at bay. The two pulled apart, and stared at each other for a moment. Keida-Ari unlaced her bracelet and placed it in Poe's calloused hand, curling her fingers around his into a fist. Poe stepped into the pod and the door sealed shut. Keida-Ari ran back to the cockpit just as it dropped out of lightspeed. She felt the pod jettison, and watched for a moment as it drifted toward the forested planet in front of her.

"You can't come back," she whispered as she closed her eyes, willing herself to accept the fate she had chosen.

Quickly, she typed in the coordinates for a handful of systems that were close by, hoping to drop out for a few seconds and jettison an escape pod at each destination to make it seem like the ship was malfunctioning. She set the final destination as Hoth; it was nearby, and she had heard stories of a Rebel base that operated there in the days of the Empire. She hoped that this would bait the First Order to follow her, and ignore her first momentary drop out of lightspeed. She punched the controls, and she was flying through hyperspace once again. She had been out of hyperspace for maybe 15 seconds, and she hoped that it would go unnoticed.

As the ship dropped out of lightspeed the final time, she gazed at the white planet in front of her. It looked like a little pearl nestled in a cushion of space. After a few minutes, two small ships came onto her scopes; from the readings, they looked like TIE fighters. She took a deep breath, calming and centering herself. She wasn't sure if they were going to directly attack her or not. Before she had time to think more about it, she felt the ship jolt. She looked on her scanners and saw that there was another ship on the radar now: a Star Destroyer. From the looks of things, it must have come out of lightspeed while the TIE fighters distracted her. She tried her controls, but everything was shut down and she realized the jolt she had felt wasn't fire from the TIE fighters; it was a tractor beam from the massive destroyer.

As her ship began to move backwards toward the Star Destroyer, she felt a wave of darkness overtake her. She knew what was coming, or at least who was coming. She had never been more scared in her life, but she did her best to stay calm and think about anything other than the tall creature in the metal mask. She tried to focus her thoughts on something positive as her ship was pulled onboard. She took a deep breath as a single warm tear spilled onto her left cheek and she whispered almost silently to her empty ship.

"Oil and leather."


End file.
